A doctor had to inject an 83-year-old man with morphine so his son could drive him to hospital after the pensioner was refused transport in a public ambulance.

HSE director general Tony O’Brien has claimed it will take until the summer to teach all doctors and nurses basic hand hygiene standards after yet another hospital dirt scandal.

A 10-year wait for the reinstatement of a helipad at one of the biggest hospitals in the country should be concluded by no later than early 2015.

A leading regional hospital is putting patients at “immediate serious risk” by failing to meet vital health and safety policies designed to ensure the welfare of the public.

The Health Information and Quality Authority’s report on its unannounced visit to Waterford Regional Hospital makes for challenging reading.